Abstract:

Objective: To investigate and analyze the clinical behavior and therapeutic status of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Methods: Patients diagnosed with APS between September 2021 and October 2025 were enrolled in this investigation. Data collection included: demographic characteristics, disease duration, initial presenting symptoms, departments of first visit and diagnosis, time of the first visit and definite diagnosis, the interval of follow-up, previous and current medications. Assessments using the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and general medication adherence scale (GMAS) were also conducted. Age- and gender-matched healthy controls were selected and completed parallel SF-36 and HADS evaluations during the same period. Results: In the study, 196 patients with APS were investigated. The median age of onset was 36 years, the male to female ratio was 1:6.8, and median disease duration was 3.0 years. Rheumatology & Immunology was the most common department for the first hospital visit (33.2%, 65/196), followed by Hematology (21.9%) and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Center (18.4%). Other departments included Neurology (5.6%), Vascular Surgery (5.1%), and Emergency (4.1%). The median time from symptom onset to APS diagnosis was 6.0 months, with 32.1%(63/196) of patients experiencing a diagnostic delay of over one year. Regarding follow-up adherence, 56.6% (111/196) of patients with APS maintained regular follow-ups at intervals of ≤3 months, while 7.1% (14/196) of the patients visited their doctor less than once a year. The primary pharmacological treatments for the APS patients included hydroxychloroquine, warfarin and other anticoagulants, and antiplatelet agents. According to the GMAS assessment, 76.1% of the patients demonstrated high or good medication adhe-rence. Among all SF-36 domains, the scores of general health (GH) in the APS patients were significantly lower compared with healthy controls (P < 0.05). According to the HADS, the proportion of anxiety symptoms was significantly higher in the APS patients compared with healthy controls (13.8% vs. 6.7%, P < 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, delayed diagnosis in APS remained prevalent. Compared with healthy controls, the APS patients exhibited significantly impaired physical function and elevated anxiety symptoms. Regular follow-up monitoring should be emphasized, and greater attention must be paid to psychoeducational interventions.

Key words: Antiphospholipid syndrome, Cross-sectional studies, Office visits, Quality of life